How Does Online College Work

What Is Online College

Online college is an educational institution that is virtual. While there are some traditional college campuses that also provide online courses, a fully online college like the University of the People means there is no campus. Instead, students log into school online and fulfill the required coursework all completely from their computer.

Can All Programs Be Completed Online

Depending on your field of study, taking college classes online may not be too different from taking college classes on campus. Whether youre earning your masters, bachelors, or an associates degree, if its a lecture-based course, it wont vary too much from classroom to computer. On the other hand, not all programs are set up to be completed from a distance. Any program involving hands-on learning or large, specialized, or expensive equipment might need to be completed on campus, such as certain medical certificate programs and skilled trades like plumbing, construction, or welding.

How To Succeed In Online Classes

At the end of the day, the expectations for online classes are similar to in-person classes: youll complete homework and tests, submit papers, work on group projects and interact with your classmates and professors. But there are a few skills, like managing your time better and learning smarter ways to study, that can help you become a better online student.

Our resolutions for online students blog post shares helpful tips on connecting with your classmates and professors, cutting down on procrastination, taking advantage of Drexel resources, and more. Want direct advice from some online Dragons? DrexelNow spoke with four past and present students about their tips and tricks to succeeding in the online classroom.

Speaking of resources, as a Drexel online student, youll have access to many of Drexels resources. You can take advantage of these resources to help you get ahead in your courses.

• About Drexel

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Get To Know Blackboard

Blackboard is the primary learning management system used in most programs at Stony Brook. You’ll use it to access course material, online lectures, discussion boards, and interactive multimedia content.

Note: The appearance of your course’s content in Blackboard may differ from the presentation above based on your academic unit.

Online Jobs For College Students Are The Perfect Flexible Side Hustle

Working online is the best setup for most college students, and you dont always need any experience to succeed. The gigs are flexible, usually pay better than campus and other brick-and-mortar jobs, and you dont have to work on your holiday break.

If you find something youre really passionate about, you could even turn your college side gig into your full-time career.

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Plan Absences Well In Advance

If you’ll need to take a vacation day to study for an exam or miss a day of class because of an important meeting at work, figure when these conflicts will take place as far in advance as possible and make necessary arrangements. A boss is likely to be a lot more understanding when an employee asks for a day off months in advance compared to the day before. And if you know you’ll miss class far in advance, you can take steps to compensate for what you’ll be missing.

Scheduling For Online Courses

Now that you have a general idea of how to take online college classes, you may be curious what a typical course schedule might look like. Of course, like many other aspects of online learning, there may be many different ways schools choose to schedule their classes. One way online courses may differ from attending classes in person is that learning might be asynchronous. This means that students can learn at their own pace, logging in when it best fits their schedule to complete the online assignments. This isnt to say, though, that you might be able to take as long as you want when completing a course online. There are typically still deadlines, and schools might ask that you complete a certain amount of work each week.

Beyond the weekly timing of courses, online schools may differ in that they might not follow the traditional semester schedule of many campus universities. Some schools offer online courses starting at specific dates of the year. Others may allow students to start anytime throughout the year, but only take one course at a time before moving on to the next one. Be sure to contact the school youre interested to see if their schedule fits with your plan for online education.

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Are Classes Live Or On Demand

Both! There are two online learning formats:

• Synchronous
• Asynchronous

Synchronous courses are live and require students to be virtually present on a certain day and time. During the scheduled class time, you may view lectures in real-time and participate in live discussions via video chat. This learning format most closely resembles on-campus classes, but may not offer the flexibility that most online students are seeking.

Asynchronous courses allow students to complete coursework at their own convenience. You may fit classes in before work, listen to a lecture during your commute, and log back in for an exam while cooking dinner its up to you! There are still strict deadlines for assignments, and you may be required to log in and participate in message boards daily or weekly, but the day-to-day schedule is much more flexible.

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Both types of learning have their advantages and many students opt for a schedule that includes some synchronous and some asynchronous classes. It all depends on your learning style and lifestyle!

Online Classes Are Not The ‘easy’ Route

One of the most common questions asked on this topic is, “Are online classes easier?” Put simply, the answer is no.

Opting for online courses over traditional courses is not the easy route for your education. Its true that online courses offer more flexibility, but that doesnt change the amount of work you put in.

The flexibility of online classes can be extremely helpful to busy students, but that same freedom also creates additional pressures on those enrolled. Its up to you to avoid distractions and keep yourself on track.

Online learning is what you make of it, says Brian Galvin, chief academic officer for Varsity Tutors. It all depends on the teacher, the format, and the student.

Though he admits some online courses may have gained the reputation of being easy due to poor design, many online courses have adapted to requiring more synthesis and analysis from studentsthe kind of work that isnt answered with a quick trip to Google.

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Remote Customer Service Representative

As with virtual assistants, companies sometimes outsource their customer service department to call centers or remote workers. This helps businesses reduce costs, and it also enables many businesses to provide after-hour customer support to clients around the world.

Working as a remote customer service agent isnt a purely online student job since you work on the phone. However, customer service reps also work online while on call to assist customers with their questions or problems.

From fixing account issues to helping a customer use a specific website feature, customer support representatives are the first point of contact when a customer needs assistance. They may also answer requests through a companys online chat or help forum.

According to Glassdoor, the average remote customer service representative earns almost $28,000 per year full-time. However, the hourly pay varies greatly between companies, ranging from $9 to $19 per hour.

One way to find a remote customer service job is to search on job boards like Flexjobs. Alternatively, companies like Sykes or Concentrix regularly hire remote customer support representatives across the United States. Finally, you can also apply to companies like Appen and Lionbridge. Both companies hire independent contractors for data entry tasks, as well as jobs like being a search engine evaluator, social media moderator, and translation.

Customer Service Pros

Customer Service Cons

Verdict

Youll Need To Be Proactive About Connecting With Your Professor

Even with the numerous capabilities we now have to personalize the online learning experience, it can be difficult for instructors to gauge whether students are struggling with a course from a distance. You need to be proactive about reaching out for help, because your instructors wont know whats normal or abnormal for you, Bourdon says.

Gadhia agrees. She says students should recognize they may need to connect with their instructor by sending an email or picking up the phone. Online students need to have a certain amount of patience, she explains. For example, if they email an instructor, they need to be comfortable with waiting one to two days for a response.

Most UMass Global faculty are working practitioners. This means that the instructors, like many of the students, are actively working in the fields they teach. While the commitment faculty members have to staying active in their fields means students may get a slightly delayed response to their emails, it also means theyre receiving their education from experts who are actively immersed in the most up-to-date industry best practices.

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Is An Online Degree Cheaper Than A Traditional Degree

While the average cost of online college can run less than traditional schools, tuition costs vary widely depending on the school. In general, in-state public schools charge the lowest tuition rates, while private colleges and universities charge the highest tuition rates. Prospective students can learn more about costs at different types of schools below.

Application For Online College

Ever thought of taking a course at an online college even as a senior citizen? Of course, seniors can take online courses. Application for online colleges is always via the internet and its open to all! Numerous online colleges are available on the internet, it is highly advisable to meticulously research and compare the available applications, tuition fees, and other necessary details before applying with any online college.

Nancy G.

Former head of accounting at a tax consultancy firm, loves to spend time with her grandchildren and husband. Also a dog lover.

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How Does K12 Online School Work For Parents

Parents of students at K12 Private Academy have unique access to their childs education. This allows for quick intervention on challenging topics, addressing learning gaps before the student falls behind. Parents can also access built-in planning and progress tools, enabling easy scheduling and lesson planning.

Parents support their childs education, log their attendance, and monitor their progress to ensure theyre on track. The online platform displays which lessons have been completed and which require more work, making it easy to target and address any more challenging topics.

K12 Private Academy also offers events for parents and students that they can access from the online platform, helping everyone stay connected.

The Online Format Affords You A Lot Of Flexibility

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of obtaining your degree online is that you arent tied to any physical location. You can study in the comfort of your own home or another location of your choosing, provided there is a quality internet connection.

While some online college courses include lecture components that you view at a set time, more and more programs are moving toward an asynchronous model. At Midway University, for example, online courses start on Mondays and end on Sundays. This ensures students are staying on track, but allows them to complete assignments when its most convenient for them during the week. The course format is set up in eight-week modules that start five times throughout the year to allow students to complete their studies at a quicker pace.

If youre an adult learner, you may even be able to fast-track your education by demonstrating your existing expertise. There are a number of methods you could use like taking an exam to demonstrate your knowledge, submitting a portfolio of work samples for assessment and acquiring credit for military experience. CPL isnt specific to online programs, but its prevalent among them.

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Center For Online Education Resource Library

Online students face a set of unique issues. Whether youre wondering about online student disability services, LGBT support at online colleges, or paying for your online degree, our library of guides is here to help you. Planning to transfer credits from an online college? Well walk you through the importance of enrolling in accredited online colleges to ensure your hard work does not go to waste. We collected questions from parents, educators, and students to discover the most pressing issues they faced, and then put our team of experts to work finding in-depth answers.

How Do You Choose The Best Online College For You

As you research online colleges, dont get too wrapped up in rankings or awards. You want to find not just the best online college, but the best online college for you.

Here are some important factors to consider when choosing an online college:

• Is it accredited?
• Does it offer the degree program you need to reach your career goals?
• Will you be able to easily transfer your credits or advance your degree in the future, if you choose?
• How long will the program take?
• Are the classes asynchronous or synchronous?
• Is it affordable?
• Do they offer the resources and support services I need?

Its important that the college you choose offers the support you need in order to be successful in achieving your goals.

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What You Might Need To Take Online College Courses

Before you find out the details about taking courses online, it may help to know the basics. Namely, what might you need to complete coursework for an online degree program? Unsurprisingly, youll likely need a computer, specifically one with an internet connection and an updated web browser. Your computer may also need to have a CD/DVD drive. Similar to campus learning, you may need to buy textbooks to keep up with your studies. Beyond this, specific requirements may vary greatly, so make sure to request information from each particular school to know if youll be able to enroll in one of their programs. Keep in mind that requirements might vary from course to course.

Group Projects Could Be A Notable Component Of Your Online Classes

Mastering collaborative communication in this digital environment is also important because group projects are another common aspect of the virtual classroom student experience. Dr. Murphy explains that group projects are incorporated into most of UMass Globals online courses to prepare students for the workforce.

Much of what we do in education in general is try to create a sandbox for students to fail in, do well in and practice things in a low-stakes way all while receiving feedback from instructors and classmates.

The tools built into the online student experience at UMass Global help make group projects in a virtual classroom environment both effective and productive. Students may utilize for collaborative writing and editing. And they might use Zoom for its group video conferencing capabilities.

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Is There A Library I Can Use

Yes! We have an extensive online library filled with numerous databases, search tools, and resources to aid you in your study. Access the Purdue Global Library.

Our library features:

• Ask-a-librarian Servicesemail your question, live chat, or schedule an appointment
• ABI/INFORM Collectionsearch thousands of scholarly journals and trade publications
• Books24x7a database offering access to more than 18,000 books on business, information technology, and health and wellness topics
• Gale Virtual Reference Librarydictionary, encyclopedias, and myriad other reference works
• ProQuest Centralperiodical resource center
• Westlaw Campus Researchlegal information, court opinions, state and federal regulations, legal definitions, etc.
• EBSCO Discovery Serviceadvanced search access to research databases, e-journals, magazine subscriptions, and e-books
• APA Style CENTRALlearning and teaching tools from the style experts behind the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
• Library Supportvideos and tutorials

Online Learning And Employment

Once you have an in-depth understanding of how your qualifications earned online are recognized in your country, you’ll be able to plan how you’ll talk about your online learning experience to employers!

Many employers make no differentiation between online degrees and degrees earned on campus – as long as your qualifications are recognized in your field. For some employers, gaining your qualifications online will provide you with a unique skill set to help you stand out from the crowd of other applicants.

Students considering online study should not be deterred by old-fashioned ideas about real degrees only being awarded by campus-based institutions. In fact, many employers now recognize that studying online takes a large amount of dedication and commitment. The passion and drive needed to achieve your qualifications online are characteristics of many star employees across industries.

Think studying for an online degree is something uncommon? Think again the latest statistics show that around 33% of college students are taking at least one course online and eventually, one-third of college students expect to study online, one-third expect to study only on campus, and one-third will do both. This increased participation will naturally lead to increased recognition of online learning. Furthermore, there is a 71% expected increase in online enrolments overall.

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What Is Online Education

Online education is a procedure of gaining skills and knowledge through electronic devices like computers, mobiles, laptops, etc using the internet. Online education makes it possible for tutors or mentors to reach all the students more flexibly and teach them the relevant skills more efficiently. The students who can not attend traditional regular classes now can also learn anything from anywhere using the internet.

The Covid-19 pandemic affects all the sectors of livelihood. Due to the lockdown, students were not able to attend a traditional classroom that falls a negative impact on their studies. So the educational government of India decided to start online classes for the students so that their studies can be continued.

This will create a demand for online educational methods and the importance of online education came to know during this time. Many colleges, schools, and educational institutes come forward to provide online courses to the students. Courses that will help the students to enhance their skills and get knowledge from their home through the internet.

Online education comprises audio, text, video, animations, chats with tutors or mentors, and virtual training that is given by the teachers to the students. These are the methods of conveying the skills and knowledge to the students so that they can become professionals in their fields.